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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. chip — for betting
  3. chip — to eat
  4. drill — the tool
  5. bound — tied together
  6. squash — to crush
  7. drill — army training
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. saw — the tool
  10. pop — soda
  11. content — happy
  12. pop — to visit
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. pop — music
  17. squash — the sport
  18. drill — a practice
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. bound — certain
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. content — the amount
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. bound — obliged

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com